FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Refurbish the old hut
Two surveyors had stated that the building was too far-gone and the third surveyor commissioned by the scout group indicated that repairs would keep it going for only a couple of years. All three surveyors had undertaken visual and not structural surveys. The roof was bowed, the floor was sloping away, the kitchen was falling away from the rest of the hut, roof trusses were missing, there was evidence of dry rot, and woodworm had already been treated. At various times, WESG members had complained about the state of the hut and their desire for something new and better. Some councillors were also concerned about the strength of the building when covered with snow, because of the two pillars supporting the main beam that had been removed at some stage.

A new hut on the same footprint
This could not have increased the activity space because it would have had to retain the kitchen and toilets - the current plan relocates these in the village hall basement.

Also the building could not adjoin the existing hall because of fire regulations –so would have had to be 1m away. Therefore, it would have been shorter and had less activity space inside.

Build up to the stone wall
Modern building & safety regulations would not permit this. Both builders and future maintenance contractors need space to walk behind the building and to be able to use a ladder there. To reach the rear of the old hut contractors had stand on a wall with a 15 foot drop on the other side.

A bigger building
On this site, this was never possible. The Leics CC school path is at one end and the existing village hall at the other end. A bigger building would have been possible attached to the sports pavilion. This was rejected after over 20 meetings of a joint working party and an architect's design. The Annexe was rejected as a new home by WESG, either permanent or temporary.

Accessibility
The old hut had no accessible toilet and was not disabled-friendly. The current plan provides both.

Fire exit not needed
One exit is not safe for the range of users. The old hut had two, as does the Annexe, and the village hall has four. A problem near the main door would leave users unable to escape. New fire escapes must be accessible and a ramp must be provided. Because of the school path, the ramp area must be within the existing footprint to lead to the car park.

Involve users
The need was to house scout meetings. All joint meetings have been exclusive to WESG but other users were considered in tandem.

Two storeys
Normal practice is for extensions to be below the existing building height. The current plan [approx 1.5 storeys high] has an open roof space at WESG request.

Cost of building
Original tender from Keller was £237,000 which the parish council thought was unaffordable. This was negotiated down to £178,000. We made savings by moving the wall away from the boundary. This meant £3,500 for less materials and £21,020 for a simplified foundation design. We also removed some of the design features to reduce cost. However, the activity space is 25% greater than was available in the old hut.

Design issues
A parent informed councillors that an originally planned office and store leading off each side of the internal entrance would leave a passageway that would be impossible for wheelchair users to negotiate. The original door was too narrow so a wider aperture was created. The originally planned upper level proved to be too difficult to add and to access safely. The upper floor and office were therefore left out.